Creatine is one of the supplements that is widely spread among athletes because of its health benefits. It contributes to raising the body’s energy level and increasing muscle mass. Learn in this article about the most effective way to use creatine for beginners, before exercise, and during Ramadan.
The most effective way to use creatine is without exercise
Creatine has many health effects and benefits in the human body, such as increasing muscle mass and gaining weight, so many people wonder about the possibility of using creatine without exercise. In fact, creatine helps to gain weight in two ways. The first method is by increasing water retention in the muscles, which makes the muscles appear larger, and this effect can exist without exercise.
The second method is through raising energy levels, which leads to increased strength and the ability to lift greater weights, which ultimately leads to increased muscle mass , but this effect only appears if creatine is used during exercise. That is, it does not happen if creatine is used without exercise.
When using creatine without exercise, weight gain is only apparent, and it may be temporary, as weight gain can disappear after a few weeks of use. Therefore, it is not recommended to use creatine without exercise.
The use of creatine can be beneficial for trainees during the Ramadan fasting period who want to maintain physical fitness for several reasons including:
- Increasing muscle mass in Ramadan and maintaining physical fitness and muscle performance during the fasting period.
- Promoting muscle recovery: Using creatine can help…
- Promoting muscle recovery and accelerating their recovery after exercise in Ramadan.
- Improving athletic performance: Using a creatine supplement can help increase muscle strength and athletic endurance.
- Reducing the side effects of fasting: Some trainees may feel
- Fatigue and stress during fasting in Ramadan, and a creatine supplement can help improve the feeling of activity and vitality and reduce these side effects.
The most effective way to use creatine in Ramadan is to exercise three hours after breakfast and take creatine half an hour before exercise.
Use creatine pre-workout
When using creatine, it is recommended to follow a loading phase consisting of 20 grams per day divided into 4 times for 5-6 days, then move to the normal dose, which is 5 grams half an hour before exercise and 5 grams immediately after exercise, as bodybuilding experts recommend the loading phase because Its health benefits are that it increases the reserve of creatine phosphate inside the muscles, and some doctors indicate that it is not necessary to follow the loading period and suffice with taking 4-10 grams of creatine per day.
Why take creatine before and after exercise?
Taking creatine before exercise provides you with the necessary creatine phosphate for energy for your exercise. The most effective way to use creatine before exercise is to take it about 30 minutes to an hour before exercise and immediately after exercise with protein or juice sweetened with a little sugar. Creatine is one of the necessary supplements immediately after exercise. To compensate and fill the missing stores of creatine phosphate in the body and prevent the running out of creatine phosphate from the muscles in the body.
read more: the best time to take supplements
Gain weight
Creatine is one of the best supplements for gaining weight and building muscle. It is the most important nutritional supplement among all bulking supplements and is superior to protein supplements because it is difficult to obtain creatine from food alone. As for protein, there are many foods that provide the body with its need for protein.
Therefore, it is necessary to use a creatine supplement to gain weight in order to obtain its important benefits for the body, which include the following:
- Providing the body with energy
Creatine supplies the body with energy by raising the levels of a compound called adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is responsible for performing vital motor processes in the body, and this is useful in enhancing athletic performance during exercise.
- Inflate muscles quickly
Creatine helps maintain muscle mass and prevent its loss, in addition to its role in enhancing muscle maintenance and recovery after exercise, enhancing athletic performance during exercise, which is beneficial in increasing muscle mass and increasing their size.
- Muscles are clearly visible
Using creatine helps increase fluid retention within the muscles, and this causes the muscles to appear prominent and full quickly after taking creatine, but this prominence may be temporary unless the person exercises.
read more: benefits of a glutamine supplement
- Improve muscle recovery
One of the advantages of creatine for weight gain and muscle building is that it improves training performance and accelerates rates of weight gain and muscle bulking by accelerating and improving the process of recovery and repair of muscle fibers damaged during resistance exercises.
- Improve testosterone levels
Studies have indicated the role of creatine in raising the level of testosterone, which is the male hormone and is classified as one of the building hormones in the body due to its role in muscle enlargement and weight gain.
The most effective way to use creatine to gain weight for beginners is easy and routine, which is to add a scoop or one dose of your supplement to a cup of water of no less than 300 ml and mix the ingredients together, as the daily percentage you need of creatine is between 3 and a maximum of 5 grams. Just daily.
Creatine can be added to fruit juice or milk, and even if you are using a protein supplement, it is possible to mix the dose of protein with creatine without any problem.
